In this issue:

 

 


Twitter: http://twitter.com/uelac
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2303178326/?ref=share

A Black Loyalist’s Story In His Own Words: Part Two of Four
copyright Stephen Davidson UE
Boston King was just 20 years old when he stepped off a British man-of-war and walked the streets of New York City as a free man in the fall of 1780. Having to leave his enslaved family behind in South Carolina, the young man had obtained his freedom by joining the British forces stationed in Charleston earlier in the year. He survived smallpox, avoided recapture, and successfully completed a dangerous mission as a courier. But his adventures had only just begun.
As he composed his memoir in 1796, Boston recalled how he had tried to hire himself out as a carpenter in New York. But not having the tools of the trade, he was forced to hire himself out as a servant. He was paid so poorly by his first employer that he was “not able to keep myself in clothes“. He found another master, but after four months of receiving no wages, he left him to “work about the town until I was married.”
One would think that one’s marriage would garner a few paragraphs in one’s memoir. But Boston’s wife Violet does not even have her name appear in the Black Loyalist’s autobiography. Three years after their wedding date, the couple’s names appeared in the Book of Negroes, a ledger containing the names of all free and enslaved Blacks who left New York during the Loyalist exodus of 1783. Within its pages, we discover that Violet had been enslaved in Wilmington, North Carolina and had made her escape to freedom in the same year that Boston had fled South Carolina.
It seems the couple married in 1780 – the year in which Boston turned 20 and Violet turned 32. How they came to meet is lost to history. Boston (who by this time had adopted the surname of King) first uses the word “wife” in his memoir when he describes the events of 1781. He recounted how, after a lengthy illness, he was able to secure work on a pilot boat. His vessel was captured by the crew of an American whaleboat and taken to New Brunswick, New Jersey.
As he faced being enslaved by rebels once again, King was “distressed” at the thought of being “separated from my wife and family“. This reference to children raises a number of questions. Given her age, had Violet been a single mother when she married Boston? Or did the couple have a child of their own within the first year of their marriage? Whatever the case may have been, the Book of Negroes does not list any children travelling with the Kings when they left New York City in July of 1783. Whether Boston had stepchildren or children of his own, they had died by the time the couple set sail for Nova Scotia.
Not willing to be enslaved again, King was determined to find a way to escape from his rebel captors in South Amboy to British-occupied Staten Island. He knew all too well what could happen to a Black if he were caught running away.
King’s memoir records a visit he made to a young Black man held in a New Jersey jail. “He had been taken prisoner, and attempted to make his escape, but was caught 12 miles off: They tied him to the tail of a horse, and in this manner brought him back to Brunswick. When I saw him, his feet were fastened in the stocks, and at night both his hands. This was a terrifying sight to me, as I expected to meet with the same kind of treatment, if taken in the act of attempting to regain my liberty.”
King admitted that if he remained in New Jersey as a slave he would “have as good victuals as many of the English; for they have meat once a day, and milk for breakfast and supper” and he would have the opportunity to go to school at night. “This is a privilege indeed. But alas, all these enjoyments could not satisfy me without liberty! Sometimes I thought, if it was the will of God that I should be a slave, I was ready to resign myself to his will; but at other times I could not find the least desire to content myself in slavery.”
Despite the fact that guards were posted at the South Amboy ferry to prevent the escape of slaves and prisoners of war, King decided to make his dash to freedom. An hour after midnight, he discovered that no one was on sentinel duty, allowing him to swim across the Raritan River to the opposite shore. He walked through “bushes and marshes” for several hours until he came upon a tied up whaleboat. Cutting it loose, he made his way across Arthur Kill to Staten Island. Reaching the shore, he sought out the British commanding officer, who, when informed of King’s case, gave him a passport to New York City.
“About which time, the horrors and devastation of war happily terminated and peace was restored between America and Great Britain, which diffused universal joy among all parties; except us, who had escaped from slavery and taken refuge in the English army; for a report prevailed at New York, that all the slaves, in number 2000, were to be delivered up to their masters although some of them had been three or four years among the English. ”
Fortunately for the Black Loyalists, Sir Guy Carleton, the British commander in chief, had no intention of returning them to their enslavers. “The English had compassion upon us in the day of distress, and issued out a Proclamation, importing, that all slaves should be free, who had taken refuge in the British lines, and claimed the sanction and privileges of the Proclamations respecting the security and protection of Negroes. In consequence of this, each of us received a certificate from the commanding officer at New York, which dispelled all our fears, and filled us with joy and gratitude. Soon after, ships were fitted out, and furnished with every necessary for conveying us to Nova Scotia. ”
By the end of July 1783, Boston and Violet King were aboard L’Abondance, a loyalist evacuation vessel bound for Shelburne, Nova Scotia. Besides being noteworthy for carrying the largest number of Black Loyalists to sanctuary, L’Abondance had passengers walking its deck who would play significant roles in the years to come.
Harry Washington may have been a celebrity among those travelling north. He had once been a slave to General George Washington. The 43 year-old had escaped the rebel officer’s Mount Vernon plantation in 1776, becoming a free man in the same year that white Americans declared their independence. While Harry travelled alone, Moses Wilkinson brought a large number of the members of his Methodist Church with him. Blind and lame, the 36 year-old had also escaped freedom from a Virginian master in 1776.
Wilkinson was destined to become the spiritual leader of the largest congregation within Birchtown, the Black settlement outside of Shelburne. Stephen Blucke, another L’Abondance passenger, became the settlement’s secular leader. The leader of the Black Brigade came to Nova Scotia with his wife Margaret. Blucke would eventually become the head of the local Black militia and serve as the first teacher of the Birchtown’s children.
King’s memoir notes, “We arrived at Birch Town in the month of August, where we all safely landed. Every family had a lot of land, and we exerted all our strength in order to build comfortable huts before the cold weather set in.” The Kings were fortunate to have time to build a suitable hut; Black Loyalists who arrived later in the fall had to make due with “pit houses” — holes dug in the ground that had a roof of branches to keep out the rain and snow.
Boston King’s story continues in next week’s Loyalist Trails.
To secure permission to reprint this article contact the author at stephendavids@gmail.com.

James Forten, Revolutionary: Forgotten No More
by Adam E. Zielinski 13 June 2023 Jpurnal of the American Revolution
A recent trip to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia unearthed the institution’s continued shift towards presenting narratives and stories that most students—and adults—are unfamiliar with. When images of the era are discussed, one would be correct to assume the museum’s focus centers on the Washingtons, Hamiltons, and Franklins of lore, and no doubt they have their respective places. But what may surprise many is the breadth with which the museum continues to spotlight minority voices from the past, and rightfully weaves their stories into the greater early American experience. Look no further than the current exhibit on James Forten, one of Philadelphia’s most distinguished and important citizens.
The Forten family is one of the truly remarkable ancestries of early America. A mulatto free woman named Sarah Fortune born in Somerset County, Maryland, was likely the child of an enslaved father and a white indentured servant mother. Her son, Thomas Fortune, was born in 1740, and the family had relocated to Philadelphia by the mid-eighteenth century. Thomas’s sister, Ann Elizabeth Fortune, left him a considerable estate in her will in 1768. Thomas Fortune or Forten, along with his wife Margaret Waymouth, would have two children: Abigail and James. Read more…

Video: Loyalist women in the American Revolution and New Brunswick
Dr. Bonnie Huskins, University of New Brunswick, Sat. 10 June 2023 at the Saint John Public Library
Recording on New Brunswick Historical Society’s YouTube Channel.
The presentation profiles the experiences of a handful of non-elite Loyalist women who navigated the challenges of the American Revolution and resettled in New Brunswick. Much of the social and physical violence they faced in the American colonies was gendered, as were the challenges they faced in exile.
While previous historians, with good reason, have focused on the suffering of these women, this presentation will argue that they were also significant builders of community, who gave navigated the ravages of pregnancy and gave birth in the midst of upheaval, safeguarded the physical and emotional survival of their families, ensured the continuation of family businesses, and created social welfare networks.
Dr. Huskins teaches history at St. Thomas University and the University of New Brunswick, where she is also Adjunct Professor and Loyalist Studies Coordinator.
The New Brunswick Historical Society sponsored the talk, in conjunction with the Saint John Public Library. Watch now…

The Contradictory Accounts of Grey’s Raid on New Bedford and Martha’s Vineyard
by Steven Neill 15 June 2023 Journal of the American Revolution
Located at the junction of the Acushnet River and thedeep waters of Buzzards Bay, the New Bedford and Fairhaven area became a hub for whaling, fishing, and trading during Colonial times. Whaling, in particular, became the main driving force for the area’s economy after Capt. Christopher Hussey of Nantucket began hunting sperm whales in 1712.
Forty to fifty whaling ships called New Bedford home at the start of the American Revolution, but the industry ground to a halt after hostilities began.[2] By the end of 1777, however, New Bedford was the only major port north of the Chesapeake still in rebel hands, so it quickly became a vital hub for the burgeoning fleet of privateers the rebels had been authorizing. The buccaneers stored the cache of captured British goods in local warehouses and later distributed it to the American Army. In September1778, British Gen. Sir Henry Clinton ordered Maj. Gen. Charles Grey to lead a 4,500-man expedition to eliminate this problem. While the nearly forgotten raid on New Bedford, Fairhaven, and Martha’s Vineyard by British troops would prove successful for the British in the short term, the brutality of their invasion would hurt their cause in the long term. Read more…

Confinement during the Georgian era
By Jessica Cox 12 June 2023 in All Things Georgian
Netflix’s new Bridgerton spin-off, Queen Charlotte, depicts the death of Princess Charlotte of Wales in childbirth and so highlights the very real dangers of childbirth to both mothers and babies at this time. This is something I explore in my new book along with the lack of control many women faced around their fertility – and infertility – in nineteenth-century Britain.
Queen Charlotte, is set against the backdrop of the vexed question of motherhood. Whilst focused primarily on the early relationship between the titular character and King George III, the series also depicts a secondary plotline beginning with the death of Princess Charlotte of Wales and her son in childbirth and following the Queen’s subsequent desperate attempts to secure an heir
Whilst historians may baulk at the liberties taken by the series’ writers, the glimpses it offers into women’s maternal experiences in Georgian England reflect the difficult reality for many women at this time, when pressure to bear children was significant, fertility difficult to control, and birth a potentially dangerous event for both mother and baby. Read more…

18th Century Printed Cotton Do’s & Don’t’s
23 December 2019 in American Duchess
A beautiful cotton printed with flowers is one of the most beloved and recognizable aesthetics of the 18th century. It’s during this century when the imported Indian fabric blows up the Georgian fashion industry. These fabrics are so popular that they come in and out of fashion even today. While this popularity of printed floral cottons can be a blessing, when pursuing an accurate 18th century look, it can be a murky swamp of confusion.
Not all modern floral cottons are created equal. The vast majority of printed cottons available in big box fabric stores are totally wrong for this period. It takes a careful, trained eye to spot a printed cotton appropriate for an 18th century gown. To make it even trickier, new original prints and designs are being discovered every day! To start training your eye for printed cottons the best thing to do is carefully study original gowns and fabrics in museums and pay very close attention to how they have dated the textile and the function of the textile.
Trying to create guidelines and rules for period correct printed cottons is tricky. The study of printed cottons, their design, manufacture and appearance, is complex, and as with most things historical, there are always oddities and exceptions to “the rules.” While we strongly recommend that you go down the textile rabbit hole yourself, here is a rough guide to get you started. Read more…

Reconsidering the Gold Rush
Written by Governor General’s History Awards Winner Charlotte Gray — September 2, 2021 at Canada’s History
When prospectors stampeded into the Klondike, Chief Isaac guided the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in people through a time of turmoil.
The Klondike gold rush is one of the most mythologized events in Canadian history. One hundred and twenty-five years ago, a handful of prospectors discovered gold nuggets in a tributary of the Klondike River and triggered a stampede of more than one hundred thousand people into Yukon. They travelled thousands of kilometres to reach the district, then rafted down the Yukon River and established a mining camp on a mud flat. The visuals and soundtrack of this epic adventure are embedded in the national imagination. The hair-raising climb up the Chilkoot Pass! (Flash the famous Eric Hegg photo onscreen.) The brutal conditions in which tens of thousands of prospectors lived! (Show grainy archival photos of a crowded Front Street in Dawson City.) The bars, casinos, dancehalls! (Cue the cancan music.)
The excitement ebbed after three years, and most of the prospectors moved elsewhere. But the appetite for gold rush tales of derring-do has continued to be fed by writers from Jack London to Robert Service, from Pierre Berton to … me. In 2010 I published Gold Diggers: Striking It Rich in the Klondike. I told the story of the gold rush through the lenses of six individuals who were there and whose voices I was able to recover through written records — letters and memoirs plus archival newspaper photos and clippings. I was keen to show that the episode involved far more people than the muscular, grizzled heroes celebrated by previous writers. So, in addition to a miner, I wrote about a saintly priest, a spit-and-polish Mountie, a savvy businesswoman, a female reporter from the London Times, and the young Jack London who built his astonishingly successful career on stories based on his Yukon experiences.
But, in the decade since I published that book, I’ve realized that my account of the Klondike gold rush was unbalanced. If I were to embark on such a tale again, I’d amplify my approach. The way we understand the past evolves continually, but recently there have been two particular (and overdue) shifts in the stories we tell ourselves about past events.
The first is the recognition that textbook Canadian history has always focused on settlers. For too long, we have ignored, disparaged, or challenged the stories of Indigenous people who lived on this land for thousands of years before Europeans arrived here.
The second shift is the greater attention being paid to environmental history — the study of human interaction with the natural world. Climate change forces us to reconsider the colonial assumption that the earth’s resources are inexhaustible and are ours to exploit….
…I could have focused on the charismatic Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in leader Chief Isaac. If I had paid attention to these sources, I would not have repeated the mistakes of the colonial narrative, from which Yukon’s original peoples have been excluded.
In most photos, he wears a blend of Indigenous and Western dress — a heavily fringed and embroidered buckskin jacket and cloth pants. Born around 1847, he was married to a woman called Eliza Harper, and they had thirteen children, four of whom survived childhood — Fred, Charlie, Angela, and Patricia, known as “Princess Patricia” because she was the daughter of the chief. Chief Isaac’s granddaughter Joy Isaac recalls her mother telling her that Chief Isaac was “a good medicine man,” revered by his family and his people for his healing and hunting skills. Read more…

UELAC Loyalist Directory: New Contributions
Entries which have been added, or revised, this week, with thanks:

  • Marlene Dance UE, Chilliwack Branch, has added more information from branch records for:
    • Donald Cameron was born in 1721 in Glen Urguhart, Scotland. He and family arrived onboard the ship Glasgow after the war had broken out and he and his sons were immediately conscripted into service by Major John Small. He served in the 2nd Battalion, 5th Company, 84th Highland Regiment. He settled in E. River Pictou, Halifax County, NS. Note: His directory entry includes a a transcript of his land petition including much of his biography, problems of the land claim and a muster roll.

If you are willing to submit some information, send a note to loyalist.trails@uelac.org All help is appreciated. …doug

Loyalist Gazette, Spring Issue 2023 “in the mail”
The paper copy of the Spring 2023 issue of the Loyalist Gazette has been printed and has probably been delivered to Canada Post in Toronto. If you have requested a paper copy, depending on where you are located nationally or internationally, you should receive over the next couple of weeks.
Thee digital copy will remain available for members from uelac.ca in the members section. Log-in is required.
Inside, you will find great content including articles such as

  • 95th Anniversary of the founding of the Victoria Branch UELAC
  • Re-enacting with the King’s Royal Yorkers
  • A HISTORY OF THE COLOURS OF THE Recreated King’s Royal Yorkers
  • A visit to Fort La Presentation
  • Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry A Brief History

Enjoy.

The Chevalier d’Eon: Man or Woman? Nothing new
The Chevalier d’Eon defied convention by living as a man for the first half of their life and as a woman for the second.
This print shows the Chevalier in later life. The Cross of St Louis – awarded for bravery in battle – sits proudly on their chest.
Here we look at gender diversity through the life of Chevalier d’Eon (1728–1810) and a selection of prints in the Museum collection.
A celebrated 18th-century soldier, diplomat and spy, the Chevalier d’Eon lived openly as a man and as a woman in France and England at different stages of life, drawing much public interest. Charismatic and talented, the Chevalier inspired the production and circulation of printed images like those highlighted here.
Tracing the Chevalier’s story isn’t easy – obscured by conflicting accounts, speculation and rumour – it’s challenging to present a clear picture of this remarkable life.
There’s also complexity in using today’s language and definitions to talk about the Chevalier’s gender identity. Read more…

In the News

Interpretive signage going up at “problematic” historical sites
By John Best, 10 June 2023, The Bay Observer, Hamilton ON
They haven’t worked out the final wording yet but a staff report says the city plans to install interim signage at local historical sites that have been deemed “problematic” from am indigenous peoples’ perspective. The sites in question include the base of what was the Sir John A MacDonald statue which was spray painted and pulled down in 2021 by protesters. The other sites are the Queen Victoria statue in Gore Park, the United Empire Loyalist statue at Main and John Street and the Augustus Jones statue in Stoney Creek. The former Ryerson School was on the list as well but the school has been renamed Kanétskare Elementary School—a Mohawk term meaning “Bay or Inlet.”
The interim signs will be in three languages–English, Anishinaabemowin and Mohawk. The English version will read:
Understanding Landmarks and Monuments
The City of Hamilton is working together with the community to provide a broader and more inclusive view of the past which may challenge some to rethink what they held to be truths. There is more than one story here. Each of the stories associated with this monument must and will be told. Read more…

Opinion: An opportunity to get historical re-interpretation right
By John Best 12 June 2023 The Bay Observer Hamilton ON
The city of Hamilton plans to install interim interpretive signage on several monuments in Hamilton that have been deemed “problematic” from an indigenous people’s perspective. That includes the remains of the Sir John A Macdonald statue, the Queen Victoria statue, The United Empire Loyalist statue in front of the former Hamilton courthouse and the Augustus Jones statue in Stoney Creek.
The staff report says the interim signage will eventually be replaced by permanent signage. “The language on the interim signs were developed in consultation with the Circle of Experts, which includes Elders, historians, artists and leaders from the Indigenous community with diverse backgrounds. The report continues, “this signage is meant to let the community know that we have identified these sites as potentially problematic for Indigenous people, and that we are working on gathering the true history behind them.”
DeLancey W. Gill (1859–1940) Dr. Peter Edmund Jones, Kah-ke-wa-quo-na or The Waving Plume, Aug. 1898 Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas P1967.2496
Whether he is available or not, let’s hope the diverse circle of experts can be broadened to include someone like Dr. Donald B Smith– a professor emeritus of History at the University of Calgary who dedicated his 40-odd year career on the history of Aboriginal Canada, Quebec, and Southern Alberta. Read more…

Hamilton adds signs at 4 monuments to acknowledge ‘problematic’ sites need to change
By Samantha Beattie 16 June 2023 at CBC
At four historical sites across Hamilton, the city says it has installed signs to acknowledge the statues and monuments are “potentially problematic” for Indigenous communities and that it is working on “gathering the true history behind them.”
Signs went up this week. On Tuesday, new signage at the Augustus Jones statue in Stoney Creek read: “The City of Hamilton is working together with the community to provide a broader and more inclusive view of the past which may challenge some to rethink what they held to be truths.
“There is more than one story here. Each of the stories associated with this monument must and will be told.” Read more…

David Ellsworth UE featured in Community Living, Fort Erie ON

‘I feel like I am part of the team’: Community Living member finds niche in volunteer work
David Ellsworth a longtime volunteer at Lighthouse Diner
By Sarah Ferguson Fort Erie Post on 23 May 2023
When David Ellsworth isn’t working in the kitchen, his absence doesn’t go unnoticed by his fellow volunteers.
“David is a great asset. When he is not here, we miss him. He does all the little things and when he comes in, David knows just what to do,” Pastor Frank Kiss said, and then let out a chuckle.
“David knows where everything is, and when he isn’t here, we ask where’s the bowl? Where’s this? David does a lot of jobs we don’t realize he does until days where he isn’t here.” Read more…

Community Living Fort Erie program enriches lives with new friendships
Volunteers needed for Leisure Buddy program
By Sarah Ferguson Fort Erie Post on 17 May 2023
Steven Keesmaat felt an instant connection when he first met David Ellsworth.
They love to go for coffee, watch local sports, and discovered they both grew up on farms.
They get along so well, they even finish each other’s sentences.
The pair were matched through Community Living Fort Erie’s Leisure Buddy program and spend a few hours a week together. Buddies can spend time together at home, volunteering, or doing activities out and about in the community if they choose. Read more…

Loyalist Day Celebrations: 19 June Saskatchewan and Ontario

June 18 St. Albans Centre, Annual United Empire Loyalist Commemorative Service

To celebrate the 239th anniversary of the landing of the Loyalists at Adolphustown in June 1784, service at 11 am.
Guest Speaker: Chief R. Donald Maracle, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte
A Sweets & Savouries Tea afterwards
at 1:30 pm Flag raising Ceremony at the Old UEL Burying Ground
See more details

Loyalist Flag Raising in Ottawa, June 19, Sir Guy Carleton Branch

The Sir Guy Carleton Branch of the UEL will be raising the Loyalist Flag at Ottawa City Hall, Marion Dewar Plaza . The ceremony starts at 10:00 am and runs for a half hour. There will be brief speeches by the Mayor of Ottawa and the Branch President.
You are welcome to attend in period dress, but it is not mandatory. We look forward to seeing you. More details.

Loyalist Flag Raising at Peterborough City Hall, June 19, Kawartha Branch

At 10:00 am Flag bearers parade the flags to the flag pole, Ken Spry UE President, Welcome and opening comments, local political dignitaries, anthems by Barbershop Quartet, Loyalist proclamation, Loyalist Prayer, Raising the Queen Ann “Loyalist” Flag. Light refreshments following the flag raising.

Loyalist Day in Ontario, Virtual, June 19 @7:30, Gov. Simcoe & Toronto Branches

In the fall of 1997 Loyalist Day in Ontario was proclaimed and the first celebration held on 19 June 1998.
Join with us – all are welcome – as we honour our Loyalist ancestors. The program will include: What and why is Loyalist Day, some history of Ontario, Loyalist Prayer, Declaration of Dependence, The Loyalist Tree at Queen’s Park, Vignettes of Loyalists and more… Details and zoom registration…

Upcoming Events

Nelles Manor 225 Years Young! Nelles Family Reunion Sat. 24 June

Nelles Manor Museum is celebrating 225 years of the Nelles Manor. The early Upper Canada Georgian home in Grimsby, Ontario was completed in 1798.
As part of the year long celebration the museum is hosting its first Nelles Family Reunion on Saturday, June 24.
“The Nelles Family Reunion is a time for family members to become more knowledgeable about their ancestors. A time to get acquainted with extended family, share stories, and have fun together”, says long time museum volunteer and reunion committee chair Karyn Henderson.
“Not only is it an opportunity for the family to get together, we are also looking forward to all the stories, photos, and documents the family members will be sharing with the museum”, said Museum Manager Kate Pyatt. Nelles Manor became a museum in 2016 and houses many original family artifacts and documents, dating back to the 1700s.
The family arrived from the Mohawk Valley, New York State in 1780s and settled at The Forty (now Grimsby) and on the Grand River at the Nelles tract.
For those who are interested in attending the reunion or more information, you can contact the museum at info@nellesmanor.ca. See the event flyer Website: nellesmanor.ca

From the Twittersphere and Beyond

  • Townsends
    • The Poor Farmer’s Feast: For this poor feast, we explore the daily life and struggles of the average farmer in colonial America and learn how they made the most of what little they had. Come with us on this journey through history and discover the flavors of a poor farmer’s feast in the 18th century!
  • This week in History
    • 13 June 1773, BOSTON: Drawn today in the countryside outside town by Archibald Robertson, an officer of the Royal Engineers attached to the redcoat battalions stationed in Boston. See drawing.
    • 6 June 1773, the Massachusetts assembly resolved that leaked letters by Gov. Thomas Hutchinson, Lt. Gov. Andrew Oliver & others were “aggravated Accounts of Facts, and Misrepresentations…highly injurious to this Province” Read more…
    • 14 June 1775, the Continental Congress accepted authority over the New England army besieging Boston, not with a formal recorded vote but by voting to raise additional Continental regiments of riflemen in Pennsylvania, Virginia & Maryland.
  • Clothing and Related:
    • Portrait of Anne Howard-Vyse, 1780. I love this portrait! From Anne’s direct gaze to her fabulous chapeau & costly ensemble. Tilly Kettle has beautifully rendered the silk satin & lace fichu.
    • Last week I shared this c.1760’s Robe à la française on #FridayNightFrills – the fabric is from c.1750 made with a plain linen weave, lets take a closer look at the delightful wool embroidery.
    • Pattern book with examples of various silks (164 pages). Made in 1755 -1765. Great Britain. Cover width: 50cm, Spine length: 68cm, Spine thickness: 7cm, Weight: 8.01kg. Museum number: T.375-1972 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
    • 18th Century dress, Robe à la Française from behind showing off the signature sack back, c.1760’s [rear view]
    • 18th Century dress, Robe à la Française. The robe à la française was derived from the loose negligee sacque dress of the earlier part of the century, which was pleated from the shoulders at the back. 1760-1770s [front view]
    • 18th Century dress, Robe à la Française worn by Sophia Maskelyne (nee Rose), wife of fifth Astronomer Royal, Nevil Maskelyne. Possibly worn on her wedding day on 21 August 1784.
    • 18th Century dress, robe à l’anglaise, this dress’ stylised Indian floral pattern has the colours as its focus. Red, along with blue, green, yellow, and other various colors, were applied both by hand paint and by woodblock prints. c.1780s
    • Collar detail of 18th Century man’s waistcoat, cream silk satin embroidered in small green & brown sprig pattern; collar, pockets & border embroidered floral vinework decorated with paste in assorted sizes, 1770-1790
    • 18th Century men’s 3 piece suit of silk, embroidered with a summery array of floral flourishes, British, c.1770
  • Miscellaneous
    • Jacobite Badge. Medal (obverse), c.1745, bronze. Designed to be sewn into clothing. Half-length bust of Prince Charles Edward Stuart.
    • Incomplete set of playing cards, made c. 1684. BM catalogue notes: ‘The cards are accompanied by an envelope inscribed in pen and ink “These cards were used to play on the ice at Westminster when an ox was roasted in front of the Houses of Parliament”‘.

Last Post: JOHNSTON, Lois Marie April 7,1940 – June 10, 2023
Lois Marie Johnston (née MacLaggan) on June 10, 2023, at the Kelowna General Hospital was wife to Terrence (Terry) Johnston for 61 years, Mum to Laurel, Michael, Mary Katherine Scheibli (Michael) and Mitchell (Julia), predeceased by her parents, Kenneth and Kathleen MacLaggan, and brother, Terry MacLaggan, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Lois was born on Easter Sunday, April 7,1940 in Carberry, Manitoba. She, her mother and brother lived with her grandparents, Georgina and James Howie, in Carberry, while her father served in the Royal Canadian Navy on HMCS Cornwallis during WWII. Numerous family members and friends consider themselves so very fortunate to own one of Lois’ prized crocheted blankets.
Lois also always held a special interest in her Maritime and United Empire Loyalist roots as her father was originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick. Her paternal grandfather, Kenneth MacLaggan Sr., was renowned for constructing a number of the now historic covered bridges throughout the Maritimes.
Lois attended City Park Collegiate in Saskatoon and the University of Saskatchewan where she studied Education. She was a passionate Grade One Teacher who loved her work in both Prince Albert and Saskatoon.
Lois married the love of her life, Terry Johnston in 1961. In 1966, they moved to Vancouver. She had great pleasure from regular attendance at the Vancouver Symphony. Weekends included family skiing at Whistler and summers at Spanish Banks.
Lois was one of the original founding volunteers of the Vancouver Crisis Centre providing telephone counseling support. She moved to Calgary in 1998 and Kelowna in 2015. More details at First Memorial in Kelowna.

Published by the UELAC
If you do not now receive this free newsletter directly but would like to, you can subscribe here.